Cufflink

ABSTRACT

The cufflink comprises at least an end containing a movable part, a shaft and a wing attached to said shaft, wherein the shaft comprises releasing means cooperating with said moving part to allow displacement of said moving part in a protruding position, and the position of said wing being adjustable with respect to said shaft to allow a variation of the length of said shaft.

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to Swiss patent application No.01853/10 filed on Nov. 5, 2010, the content of which is incorporated byreference in its entirety in the present application.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention concerns the field of cufflinks.

BACKGROUND ART

Cufflinks have already been described in different publications of theprior art. U.S. D479.488 discloses an ornamental design for a cufflinkwhich comprises an elongated part rotatably connected to both ends of acentral part. Said central part is intended to be inserted in acuff-hole while the elongated parts are rotated 90 degrees to hold thecuff.

Another example of the prior art is disclosed in WO 206/111800. In thisdocument, the cufflink comprises an elongated central part, adapted forbeing inserted in a cuff-hole, a first end part extending from a firstextremity of said central part in a direction transverse to thelongitudinal axis of said central part, a second end part extending froma second extremity of said central part in a direction transverse to thelongitudinal axis of said central part. At least one of said first andsecond end parts comprises a mobile locking element connected to it, andhaving an extended locked position and a retracted unlocked position,said locking element protruding or rotating from said end part beyondthe corresponding extremity of said central part in the locked position.

A major drawback of the prior art devices resides in the fact that theknown cufflinks are difficult to put on and to remove. They may also bedifficult to attach without using both hands and they do not adapteasily to the shirt being worn and in particular to the thickness of thecuffs.

The aim of the present invention is to propose an improved cufflinkwhich overcomes the above mentioned defects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cufflink according to the present invention is defined in theappended claims and it comprises different moving parts allowingfulfilling the intended aim.

The cufflink according to the invention comprises at least an end partcontaining a movable part, a shaft to be inserted into a cuff hole of asleeve and a wing attached to said shaft, wherein the shaft comprisesreleasing means cooperating with said moving part to allow displacementof said moving part in a protruding position.

In an embodiment, the release means comprises a release button.

In an embodiment, the release button extends in the shaft.

In an embodiment, the moving part is blocked into a non-protrudingposition when a ball is retained in an inner hole of the shaft.

In an embodiment, the moving part takes a protruding position by meansof a compressed spring released by actuation of the release means.

In an embodiment, the position of the wing is adjustable with respect tothe shaft to allow a variation of the length of the shaft.

In an embodiment, a free length part of the shaft is modified to ashorter length by rotation of the wing.

In an embodiment, the shaft part comprises several holes for definingstable positions of the wing as it rotates around its axis.

In an embodiment, the wing comprises a spring and a ball, and the wingstops rotating around the axis when the spring pushes the ball to enterthe holes in the shaft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood from a detaileddescription and from the annexed drawings in which

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the cufflink according to theinvention in a first state.

FIG. 1A illustrates a side cut view of the cufflink of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A illustrates a side cut view of the cufflink in a second state;

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the cufflink in a third state;

FIG. 3A illustrates a side cut view of the cufflink of FIG. 1 in thethird state;

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C and 5A, 5B, 5C illustrate side and front views (cutviews for FIGS. 4C and 5C) of a specific feature of the cufflinkaccording to the invention;

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate different configurations of the cufflinkaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates the steps followed to use a cufflink according to thepresent invention and

FIG. 8 illustrate a detail of functioning of the cufflink of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, identical parts will be identified withthe same reference numbers for the sake of clarity.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the cufflink according to the inventioncomprises mainly a first end part 1, a shaft part 2 intended to beinserted in a cuff-hole and fixed to said first part, a wing part 3fixed in a mobile manner to the shaft 2, a release button 4 in saidshaft 2 and a moving part 5 in said first end part.

FIG. 2 illustrates in more details the different parts of the cufflinkand their interactions. The end part 1 is hollow and contains at leastan inner shaft 1.1 supporting spring means 1.2. It also comprises ascrew 1.3 which is used as a stop to block the movement of the movingpart 5 (as will be explained and illustrated later in the presentspecification).

The shaft 2 comprises an inner hole which guides the release button 4(its movements being illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 1A), said button4 comprising a head 4.1 and an end 4.2. The shaft is fixed on the part 1which comprises a hole 1.4 allowing the end 4.2 of the button 4 topenetrate into the hollow of the end part 1. More specifically, themoving part 5 also comprises a hollow 5.1 which covers the spring means1.2 and a housing 5.2 containing a spring 5.3 and a ball 5.4, saidarrangement being such that the ball 5.4 remains in the housing 5.2.

The wing 3 also comprises a housing 3.1 with a spring 3.2 and a ball 3.3the use of which will be explained later in the present specification.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 2A, the moving part 5 is pushed insidethe hollow of the end part 1 against the spring 1.2 and is blocked inthis retracted position by the ball 5.4 cooperating with the hole 1.4 inthe end part 1. The button 4, in particular its end 4.2 being alignedwith the hole 1.4, moving of the button upwards in FIG. 1A pushes theball 5.4 into the hole 1.4 and into the housing 5.2 against the spring5.3 thus allowing the moving part 5 to move in the hollow part of endpart 1. The beginning of movement (to the left) of the moving part 5illustrated in FIG. 2A.

FIGS. 3 and 3A illustrate the cufflink when the moving part 5 is nearlyfully deployed outside the end part 1, being pushed by spring 1.2. Theend of moving part 5 is being maintained inside the hollow of the endpart 1 by stop 1.3 cooperating with a groove 5.5 in the correspondingside of the moving part 5.

Since the hollow part 1 containing the moving part 5 only has a singleopening from the moving part protrudes, there is less risk that dirt mayenter the mechanism.

In FIGS. 4A to 4C and 5A to 5C, a specific feature of the cufflink isillustrated and explained. All the parts of the cufflink discussed withreference to the previous figures are illustrated similarly in theseFIGS. 4A to 4C and 5A to 5C and for the sake of simplicity, they willnot be discussed again here the focus being put on the differentpossible positions of the wing 3 illustrated in these figures.

More specifically, FIGS. 4B and 4C correspond to the configurationsillustrated in FIGS. 3 and 3A and reference is made to the correspondingdescription applies. Focussing now on FIG. 4A, one has represented herea front view which shows the features allowing a variation of theposition of the wing 3. To this effect, the shaft 2 comprises severalholes 2.1 to 2.5 which are used to define stable positions of the wing3. The wing itself is mounted on an axis 6.1, for example a screw 6.1(see FIG. 5C) which allows the rotation of the wing from position ofFIG. 4A (approximately horizontal or perpendicular to the shaft 2) tothe position of FIG. 5A (approximately vertical, or parallel to theshaft 2). The holes 2.1 to 2.5 are used as stops along the rotation ofthe wing around its axis 6.1 by cooperation with the ball 3.3 pushed byspring 3.2 (see FIGS. 1A to 3A and 4C), the end position of the rotationbeing set by a stop 6.2 cooperating with the groove 2.6 of the shaft 2.

Accordingly, by rotating the wing 3, it is possible to vary the freelength of the shaft 3 from a length L (FIG. 4B) to a length L′ (FIG.5B), this allowing to adjust to the thickness of the materiel formingthe cuff or to the size of the wearer or his/her wishes. Theseconfigurations are illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B, with the shorterlength L′ in FIG. 6A and the longer length L in FIG. 6B.

In FIG. 7, the different steps followed to use the cufflink according tothe present invention are showed.

In steps 1 and 2, the wing 3 is inserted in the cuff-holes 7.1 and 7.2respectively.

Then in steps 3 and 4, the cufflink is rotated so that the shaft is theninserted in the cuff-holes 7.1, 7.2. In these steps also, the button 4and its head 4.1 are pressed by the introduction in the cuff-holes (seehorizontal arrow in step 3) which has the result that the moving part 5is freed and moves out from the end part 1, thus helping the rotation ofthe cufflink as illustrated in steps 3 and 4.

Finally, in step 5, the cufflink is in its final position with themoving part 5 protruding this stabilizing the position of the cufflink.The position of the wing may then be adjusted as illustrated in FIGS. 6Aand 6B described above.

FIG. 8 illustrates two steps used to free the moving part 5 and bring itin a protruding position. In step 1, the arrow illustrates the action ofpressing on the release button 4, this action allowing the moving part 5to protrude from the end part 1.

To remove the cufflink, the steps illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 are takenin the reverse order, as will a skilled man understand.

Of course, the different elements and shapes are given above asillustrative examples not to be construed in a limiting manner andmodifications are possible in the frame and scope of the presentinvention. For example, equivalent means may be used.

Any suitable material may be used for the different parts of thecufflink. Preferably, they are in metal or precious metal. The relativesizes/proportions of the elements are also only given as examples andthey may vary.

1. A cufflink comprising at least an end part containing a movable part,a shaft to be inserted into a cuffhole of a sleeve and a wing attachedto said shaft, wherein the shaft comprises releasing means cooperatingwith said moving part to allow displacement of said moving part in aprotruding position.
 2. The cufflink as defined in claim 1, wherein therelease means comprises a release button.
 3. The cufflink of claim 2,wherein the release button extends in said shaft.
 4. The cufflinkaccording to claim 1, wherein the moving part is blocked into anon-protruding position when a ball is retained in an inner hole of theshaft.
 5. The cufflink according to claim 1, wherein the moving parttakes a protruding position by means of a compressed spring released byactuation of the release means.
 6. The cufflink according to claim 1,wherein the position of said wing is adjustable with respect to saidshaft to allow a variation of the length of said shaft.
 7. The cufflinkaccording to claim 6, wherein a free length part of the shaft can bemodified to a shorter length by rotation of the wing.
 8. The cufflinkaccording to claim 6, wherein the shaft part comprises several holes fordefining stable positions of the wing as it rotates around its axis. 9.The cufflink according to claim 6, wherein the wing comprises a springand a ball, and wherein the stops rotating around the axis when thespring pushes the ball to enter the holes in the shaft.